


The Turtle Recovery Squad

by NamelesslyNightlock



Category: The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: AU, Aram tries too hard, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Getting Together, Pining, Samar and Aram are Neighbours, Samar thinks it's cute, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, let's be honest though the turtle is the real MVP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 12:04:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16702204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: Aram’s turtle gets lost a lot. There’s a chance that’s not entirely unintentional.





	The Turtle Recovery Squad

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whimsicalwombat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whimsicalwombat/gifts).



> Originally this was going to be a Christmas present, but its been done for a while and has absolutely nothing to do with the holiday season, so I’ve decided to post it now. 
> 
> I have, however, started writing several wintery fics today. And they’re all so fluffy, dear god, someone save me from this.

—————•

The first time Samar met the turtle, he was wandering around in her building’s elevator.

It was not a spot one might normally expect to find a turtle, and Samar paused for a moment, blinking in surprise. She would be the first to admit that she didn’t live in the best apartment building DC had to offer, but was certainly _reasonable_ , and it wasn’t the sort of place that you would usually expect to find anything larger than the odd cockroach. (Excepting, of course, the debacle after a squirrel managed to get into the ventilation system and convinced more than a few of the residents that the building was haunted. But that’s a story for another time.)

To use the word ‘met’ when referring to a turtle might appear strange, but to Samar, it seemed appropriate. The turtle watched her with far too much consternation to be considered anything less than an intelligent creature, and while she wasn’t usually a reptile person, it was quite clear that it needed help.

Turtles, after all, are _not_ supposed to be in elevators.

Slowly, she edged her way inside, around the turtle that had stopped its wandering and parked itself right in the middle of the small space.

She bent down, and reached out a hand.

The turtle stared at her, annoyed.

“Don’t look at me like that,” she scolded. “I’m only trying to help.”

Tilting his head, the turtle stared at her for a moment, as if it were sizing her up. Then, tentatively, it gave her hand a sniff.

It didn’t complain when she picked it up after that, but it still seemed rather annoyed – as annoyed as a turtle can seem to be, that is. She’d never thought of reptiles as expressive creatures, but this one was certainly well on its way to changing her mind on that front. 

It was small enough that it could have fit in one hand, but she held it in both to be safe.

Turtle, retrieved. Step one complete.

Now she just needed to work out where it came from. It was probably someone’s pet, since it was highly unlikely to be a wild turtle, in an elevator of an apartment building in central DC. But other than that, Samar wasn’t sure where to start.

The problem, you see, was that in having found the turtle in the elevator, she had absolutely no idea which floor it had originally come from. She tried to remember how long she had waited for the elevator to reach the ground level after she’d pressed the call button, but she hadn’t consciously checked the number above the doors. It was too long for it to have been the first few floors, though, but too short to have been the top. She could rule out her own since she knew all her neighbours, at least well enough to know that they probably didn’t own a turtle. It was the sort of thing you’d notice about a person, and Samar had always been good at noticing things. So, logically, that left four and six.

She decided to start on the bottom, which was a mistake, as it turned out. Level four was a complete bust.

One person tried to convince her it was his turtle in a way that was far too sleazy to be the truth, while another yelled about animals and pests and referenced the squirrel incident before slamming the door in her face. The last one, though, was probably the most notable.

“ _Whoa_ , I didn’t know you could get pet turtles,” said the kid, staring excitedly at the animal in Samar’s hands from the moment he opened the door. “Mom, I want a turtle!”

“Sorry,” Samar winced, dodging the woman’s glare and darting back toward the elevator. After all, if a kid that age hadn’t noticed a turtle living on his floor, then the turtle, in all likelihood, lived elsewhere.

So, by her deductions, the turtle _should_ live two floors higher.

6A was closest to the elevator, and she knocked on that one first. She heard the scuff of feet, then a click, and although the door remained shut someone called out from the other side.

“Who is it?”

“I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am,” Samar said, speaking loudly so as to be heard through the door. “Have you lost a turtle?”

“A what?”

Samar sighed, having already gone through this song and dance down on four. “A _turtle_.”

“Honey, we’re in the middle of a city, not the Atlantic.”

“Right. Well, thank you for your time.” She turned to the next door, hoping that 6B would be a little more helpful.

The lady that opened the door was old, but had a kind smile that reached her eyes. Samar hadn’t even begun to ask her question before the woman began to answer it.

“Oh, that’s Aram’s turtle,” she said, and the relief that coursed through Samar was palpable. _Finally_. “He’s a nice lad. 6C.”

“Thank you!”

“Just one thing, dear,” the woman called after her. “Tell him to eat something, will you? He always looks so skinny.”

Chuckling under her breath, Samar headed over to the indicated door and knocked firmly.

“Yes?”

The man who answered only opened the door a little, peeking through as if in suspicion. Samar could see dark eyes and messy black hair, and a short beard running along the curve of a handsome jaw. She might have thought he was mostly okay looking, if she hadn’t been so annoyed with him in that moment.

“I think I have your turtle,” Samar said, holding the reptile up like an offering. The poor thing looked rather done with being carted about, and glared through the gap.

The man gasped. “Leo!” He swung the door open fully and reached for his pet, taking him from Samar with utmost care despite his enthusiasm. “Don’t tell me you were exploring _outside._ ”

“He was on the elevator,” Samar answered dryly. “Did you not realise he was gone?”

“He likes to explore the apartment, and I can’t see him behind all the furniture,” he explained, glancing up from the turtle to flash Samar a bright smile. “Thank you so much for bringing him back!”

“You’re welcome,” Samar replied. “Well, I’ll leave you to it, then.”

The man looked like he was about to say something, but she turned before he could. He seemed like the sort to invite her in as a show of thanks, and while usually she would be grateful, she’d just spend the better half of an hour trying to help his pet. And while the turtle guy had been friendly enough, if a bit excitable, she was tired, and ready to head back home.

Besides, she did not have the temperament to be dealing with energetic men and their adventurous pet turtles.

•— ————•

Aram had only left the door open for two minutes. _Two minutes, tops._ He’d had to put down half his shopping to get the door open, and had thought it was easier to leave it in the hall and make a second trip to the kitchen rather than try to rebalance what had already been a rather precarious load.

But it would seem that in those two minutes, Leo had made yet another daring escape, his second in just under a week. Last time, he had been lucky enough to be found by a gorgeous if slightly standoffish woman, and Aram had got him back before even noticing that he was gone. This time, Aram realised he was missing a full ten minutes after shutting the door, when he’d gone to give Leo his fresh lettuce and received no response.

He checked the hall outside, but there was no turtle there either, which meant that he was on another floor.

_Damn it, Leo._

Aram stood on the landing, considering his two options. Leo couldn’t have got down the stairs, his legs were too short. And besides, no one used those, so—

The elevator again, maybe?

The number above the door revealed that the elevator was on the fifth floor, and while it had been some time, it was soon enough that maybe it would still be in the same place. He tapped his foot as he waited for it to come up, and then tapped his foot on the way down, his mind churning through all the possibilities.

What if Leo had got lost? Oh, he was probably so scared.

The result was that Aram had managed to work himself into quite a state, and the moment the doors opened, he was off.

“Leo!” Aram yelled, charging out of the elevator. His gaze skittered across the floor of the hall and into every shadowed nook and cranny, so focused on finding Leo that he didn’t see the other person in the hallway until he was already in the middle of colliding with her.

“Whoa,” she said, balancing him with her hands on his shoulders, her grip remarkably strong. “Careful, you might– oh.” Her voice lost its concern and turned a corner toward amused. “It’s you.”

Aram froze, that far too familiar feeling of _oh, shit_ , making itself known as something got stuck in his throat. His frantic search had delayed recognition, but now that he was looking at her properly, he realised that it was the beautiful woman from the week before, the one who had found Leo in the elevator.

“Oh,” Aram echoed, his already frantic state not really helping with the nerves. “Yeah, um, hi.”

“Don’t tell me,” she said, her eyes rolling in what almost looked like fond exasperation. “Your turtle has run off again.”

Aram might have blushed if he hadn’t been so worried.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “You haven’t seen him, have you?”

He must have visibly deflated as she shook her head, because a concerned crease formed between her brows.

“Do you need help looking?”

Aram nearly leapt at the opportunity. “That would be brilliant, actually,” he admitted. “Thank you.”

He explained that he was fairly sure Leo had to be on this floor, because he only could have made it down by riding the elevator again. He must have followed someone else through the doors. Samar seemed to be repressing a smile at his theory, but nodded seriously and joined the hunt.

“So, you named your turtle Leo?” she asked conversationally as they began to look. “Like a lion? I’ve been wondering.”

“Um, no.” Aram rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “It’s short for Leonardo.”

“Oh, so like the painter?”

“No," he admitted. "The Ninja Turtle."

Her snort was almost predictable. He’d heard the exact snort from almost everyone he’d ever told.

“You should probably just stick with the lion explanation,” she suggested.

“Naming him after a Ninja Turtle makes way more sense than naming him after a lion,” Aram argued, tilting up his chin. “Come on, a turtle that knows ninjutsu? Awesome.”

“Well, it’s nice to know the name of the turtle that I am now helping to rescue for a second time,” she replied, her placating tone at odds with her smirk. “I’m Samar, by the way,” she said then, holding out a hand.

He shook it, gladly. “Aram.”

They found Leo after a few minutes’ searching. It was Samar who noticed a ruffled patch of carpet near the dead pot plant some well-meaning but naive resident had placed along one of the walls, and when Aram checked behind it he saw that Leo had managed to get himself stuck between the pot and the wall. He didn’t seem to mind his predicament though, and only huffed slightly as if in acceptance of the end of an adventure when Aram gently pried him free.

“I was so worried, buddy,” Aram said, holding the turtle close to his chest. “Promise me that you won’t do that to me again, all right? My poor heart can’t take it.”

“Do you always talk to animals?” Samar asked curiously, breaking the emotional moment.

Aram turned and shot her a glare. “Leo is an intelligent turtle,” he insisted.

“Sure,” said Samar, her dark eyes glittering. “If you say so.”

Aram narrowed his eyes, though his suspicion was based in amusement. He would bet his bottom dollar that she had talked to him too, when she found him that first time. It was too hard not to. Leo just had one of those faces.

“Well, anyway,” she said, giving him a pat on the shoulder and moving further down the hallway toward 5B– which, Aram realised, was probably her apartment. “I’ll leave you two to get reacquainted. I’m glad we found him.”

And, yeah, Aram was glad too of course, but the moment was bittersweet. As insanely relieved as he was to have Leo back safe and sound, he was sad that the recovery meant his time with Samar had come to an end. He had enjoyed spending time with her, more so than he had enjoyed anyone’s company in a while.

She was funny, for starters, possessing a dry sense of humour that you had to think about to understand. She was also clearly very clever, answering every word with biting wit and a smile that could be wry and sharp, but turned soft around the edges when she looked at little Leo, or – if it wasn’t just Aram’s wishful thinking - when she thought Aram was doing something she found amusing.

He really, really hoped that it wasn’t just wishful thinking.

And he really wanted to see her again, even more so than the first time they had met.

“All right,” he said, hoping that he didn’t sound as reluctant as he felt. “Thanks so much for your help.”

“Just don’t let him run off again,” Samar said firmly. “I do not want to have to add ‘Captain of the Turtle Recovery Squad’ to my resume.”

This time, Aram really did blush, his cheeks burning with warmth as he kept his gaze on the turtle in his hands rather than on Samar.

“Yeah,” he said. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

She didn’t say anything else, merely unlocking her door and leaving him with nothing more than a parting smile and a wriggling turtle.

With a sigh, he began the short journey back to his own apartment, one depressing fact occupying his thoughts the entire way.

She had managed to slip away from him _again_.

The first time he had seen her, standing at his door with a glare and an irritated turtle, he had been so struck by her that he’d focused all of his attention on Leo in an attempt to calm his nerves. (And, he thought with a wince, he’d probably blabbered on a bit too. But could he really be blamed for that, considering?) She was beautiful, yes, but that wasn’t just _it_. She held herself with a graceful kind of confidence that made her seem like the main feature of any room she occupied, and while her smirk suggested a hint of something dangerous, her real smile was kind. She had just stood out like no one Aram had ever seen. And now, after actually spending some time with her, even if for just a brief period, he had only been drawn further in.

He wanted, _needed_ to see her again, but he didn’t know how. Of course, he knew where to find her, and she seemed to like Leo, but he could hardly just go knocking on her door without a legitimate excuse.

Wait.

There was one thing, something that... well... could he?

Historically, the only time he had come into contact with Samar had been when Leo was involved. So therefore, mathematically, he had a higher chance of running into her again if he utilised his turtle’s propensity for running off.

...it had, after all, worked twice so far.

“Hey Leo,” said Aram, glancing to where his turtle had quite happily settled into his tank like he hadn’t nearly given Aram a heart attack a mere quarter of an hour before. “I’ve got an idea. I think it’s about time you start to earn your keep.”

•—— ———•

Samar had not been having a good day. It had been a hard one at work involving a couple of explosions and far too many close calls, and she was _not_ in a good mood when she jammed her finger against the button of the elevator.

As elevators are wont to do, it stopped three times at the three floors it needed to pass to get down to her level. When it finally dinged at ground, she stepped forward almost as soon as the doors opened, but was immediately forced to step back to let an old man with a cane, a teenager who seemed to be reading even as she walked, a family of four, and a dog get out first. _Then,_ after she finally got in and hit the button for her own floor, the damn thing stopped twice on the way up. She smiled at the people that got on, greeting them with practiced friendliness, all the while cursing at them in the safe confines of her mind.

All she wanted was to get into her apartment and have a hot shower, and then settle on the couch for some Netflix and nice glass of red. She could almost see that wine in her mind’s eye, rich and smooth, swirling in her glass and just waiting to calm her down. She was _aching_ for that moment of peace.

So, you know. It should be pretty understandable that when she saw that _damn turtle_ making its leisurely way down the level five hallway, she muttered a couple of choice expletives.

This was the third time that she’d had to rescue this turtle, and as cute as he was, it was beginning to get a bit trying.

His owner was pretty cute too, she admitted to herself. Cute, but quite clearly an idiot who let his poor turtle run wild through the carpeted hallways of their middle-decent apartment building. _Irritatingly_ cute, then.

The turtle’s legs were squirming as she held his shell in both hands, as if he thought he was swimming through the air– or maybe he was just trying to get to the dead pot plant he seemed to be rather fond of. Either way, she took no notice, grumbling under her breath as she got back into the thrice-damned elevator. At least she only had to go up the one floor.

“It’s not your fault,” she told Leo, almost apologetic about her attitude as she pressed the button for 6. “Don’t worry. I’ll fix this.”

With both hands full of turtle she couldn’t exactly knock, so she banged on the bottom of the door to 6C with her foot. When Aram opened it, he had the gall to look surprised. She had no patience for that, though, and simply marched past him and straight into his apartment, not caring that she was entirely uninvited.

“Why don’t you just keep him in his tank?” she snapped, spotting said tank on top of a cabinet as she did so. She crossed the room and deposited Leo into it with a gentleness that was in stark contrast to her annoyance.

“He needs his exercise,” Aram replied immediately, shutting the door with a click and crossing his arms over his chest defensively. _Too_ defensively. “It’s not like they sell leashes for turtles.”

“Oh, and I suppose he just jumped up and opened the door himself, did he?” Samar asked, eyes narrowing.

Aram shrugged, and while he had probably been aiming for innocent, he truly looked anything but. “Thanks for finding him again,” he said earnestly.

“Yeah, well.” Samar huffed, matching his pose. “I wasn’t going to leave him in the hallway to get stepped on.”

“I didn’t think you would,” Aram said. “Still, thanks. Hey, do you want a cup of tea or something? I’ve just bought this new brand, and I think—“

“No,” Samar interrupted, perhaps a bit too harshly. But she’d already put off her quiet night in for Aram once, and she wasn’t too willing to do it again. That wine was _calling_ her.

So, she muttered an excuse, and left. She’d entered without a hello, so it seemed right to leave without a proper goodbye.

She’d only gone halfway down the hall when she paused, sighing with defeat.

Maybe she had been just a little bit harsh.

•——— ——•

The moment the door slammed shut, Aram gripped his hair in his hands and groaned with frustration. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Maybe he shouldn’t have tried to fabricate a reason to see her again. She didn’t seem to want to see him, after all.

God, he was such an ass. He was practically forcing himself into her life, and using Leo to do it, no less. It wasn’t really fair on either of them.

A soft tap on the door interrupted his thoughts, and his eyes widened.

_No way._

Another tap forced him into action, and Aram opened the door at first a smidge, and then threw it open entirely in shock upon seeing who was on the other side.

“Sorry,” Samar said, offering him a small smile. “Bad day.”

He stared. “You’re back.”

“Yes,” she said with a wince. “Really. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rude.”

“Yeah,” he said, unable to deny _that_ no matter how much he liked her. However... “You’re not entirely at fault,” he admitted. “You shouldn’t have to keep chasing down my turtle.”

“I didn’t mind, really,” she said, giving a short shrug. “I... like I said, I’ve had a bad day, but it was no excuse to act the way I did. And I would have helped Leo regardless. He’s cute.”

“Thanks,” Aram said awkwardly, shrugging as well. “For Leo, and for the apology.”

“You’re welcome.”

There was another pause, but before Aram could think to say something to fill it she was already turning away, about to go toward the elevator. Aram wanted nothing more than to call her back, to try again, but his earlier thoughts were still fresh in his mind, and he didn’t want to be pushy. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. After all, they barely knew each other.

Still, it hurt, watching her walk away.

Until, that is, she stopped again. He watched with wide eyes as she seemed to be considering something, hardly daring to hope. But then—

“Hey, actually, Aram,” Samar said, turning back with the beginnings of a hopeful smile. “Do you have anything stronger than tea?”

And at that, Aram found that he couldn’t contain his grin.

She didn’t stay long, just for the one glass of wine, but she had mellowed out a bit and was happy to chat. It was... nice, a simple conversation between friends.

Still, though, Aram couldn’t look at her without thinking of just how beautiful she was, how she was so totally unafraid to call him out when he was being an idiot, and how her smile made her whole face seem softer.

And when she left that evening, he knew that he would move heaven and Earth just to see that smile again.

That, of course, meant that Leo’s employment contract was reinstated.

Samar laughed the next time she brought Leo to his door, animatedly chatting about how Leo had managed to not only get stuck behind the plant again, but had somehow ended up half a foot off the ground, his shell wedged tightly enough to hold his weight. Apparently, he had managed to fall asleep there, even though Aram had lost sight of him for a total time of only seven minutes.

(So he might have worked out when she came home from work, and scheduled the turtle deployment for around that time. It was safer for Leo that way, after all.)

The time after that, she offered him a turtle that looked significantly more spruced up than the one he had deposited on the fifth floor half an hour beforehand.

“Leonardo wears a blue mask, you know,” Aram said, doing his absolute best to keep a straight face as he examined Leo’s new outfit. “The purple turtle is Donatello.”

“Is that right?” Samar asked, her tone laced with a brightness that had Aram pausing before he said his next bit.

“You’re just messing with me,” he accused.

“Aram, honestly,” Samar replied, the corners of her lips twitching upward. “Of course I know the Ninja Turtles. I’m not _uncivilised._ ”

Even despite the tone of voice, Aram couldn’t _quite_ tell whether she was joking or not. It was always hard to tell, with Samar. It was one of the things that made her so interesting to talk to.

Never a dull moment.

Which brought him to—

“And the balloon?” he asked. “I don’t think Leo would appreciate dragging that around all day.”

“I hardly think he notices,” she replied with a nonchalant shrug. “And I thought _you_ might appreciate it. It does make him easier to see, after all.”

To demonstrate, she placed Leo on the ground, and he immediately began to wander into Aram’s apartment, moving much faster than one would expect a turtle to be able to manage. And to be fair, the string tied around his midsection didn’t seem to hinder his movements at all, and the red helium balloon it was attached to did advertise his location in the lounge room very clearly, no matter which piece of furniture he wandered behind. It also quite obviously made her point.

“Okay, okay,” Aram sighed. “I get it. I’ll try and keep a better eye on him.”

“I would hope so.”

Thankfully, she left after that, never one to bother with empty pleasantries such as saying goodbye. Aram didn’t think he could keep from looking guilty, not after she had gone so far to help him _not_ lose Leo.

But surely, this new side of her had to be a good sign.

Aram smiled, and glanced over to his turtle with pride. He was the best wingman ever.

Leo took another turn around the couch, happily dragging his balloon along with him and not paying any attention to the whims of his human at all.

•———— —•

Samar had begun to enjoy the little game that was going on between her and Aram the turtle guy in 6C. Leo, the adventurous little reptile, escaped all the time, and he also seemed to have developed a rather strange affinity for the fifth floor.

She began to suspect that was not an accident after she once noticed Leo exiting the elevator by himself, because without an actual person to have pressed the button, that should have been impossible. And then, as she watched, the elevator retreated to the sixth floor by itself. _That_ certainly suggested foul play.

Incidentally, that was the day she gave him back attached to a balloon and with a scrap of purple fabric blue-tacked to his forehead, in the hope that maybe Aram would get her point. It seemed that he did, thought it didn’t make him stop.

She didn’t know what the game was, exactly, but it seemed that unless she accused Aram outright she couldn’t really do anything about it. And besides, Leo was cute.

Aram, on the other hand... well, she didn’t often like to use the word ‘adorable’, because it brought forth images of rabbits and puppies and sappy romances that were most certainly not her cup of tea. But his energy was intoxicating, and when he smiled it shone so brightly in his eyes that Samar couldn’t help but smile back. And he was... sweet. Nice and polite, and a kinder man Samar didn’t think she had ever met. The way he doted on Leo and forgave her rudeness after a single apology more than proved that he was one of a kind.

No, she didn’t mind playing his game. Not if it meant that she could spend more time in his company.

But then one day Aram knocked on her door asking if she’d seen Leo when she hadn’t left the apartment in hours, and the game lost its charm.

“What happened?” Samar asked, watching as Aram pressed the button to call the elevator over and over, as if that would make it come faster. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” Aram muttered. “I thought he was with you, but then you never came up, and—“

“Why did you think he was with me?” Samar cut in, already sure that she knew the answer.

Aram paled. “Let’s just find him.”

It was all the confirmation of her suspicions that she needed, and her teeth clacked together in frustration. She didn’t say anything though – it was more important that they made sure Leo was safe.

They searched high and low, behind every plant and every box, on the roof and in the laundry. They even knocked on doors, more than Samar had tried that first day she found Leo. But no one had seen him, and Aram was growing more and more despondent the more they looked.

“What if he went outside?” Aram asked, scared.

“We’ll put up notices,” Samar said firmly. “Don’t worry, we’re going to find him.”

“This is all my fault,” Aram groaned, running his hands harshly through his hair and causing it to stick up on end.

Samar wanted to tell him that it wasn’t, that he was being too harsh on himself. But she knew that he wouldn’t believe it, and that such sympathy would likely only make him feel worse. So instead, she pressed the button on the trusty old elevator to take them back to level six.

“Come on,” she sighed at the familiar ding, taking him by the wrist and gently pulling him toward his apartment. “We need a cup of tea I think, and then we are going to head back out with fresh eyes. He may be quick for a turtle, but it is still unlikely that he’s managed to get very –“

She paused, her eyes widening in both surprise and relief.

_No way._

“Samar?” Aram asked, noticing that she had stopped. “What are you—“

He gasped, having noticed the same thing that she had. Because there, curled up against the door to 6C, was Leo.

Clearly, he was tired of being carted down to the fifth floor and had managed to return back home without Aram noticing.

“Oh, thank _god_ ,” Aram said, dashing forward. He picked Leo up off the floor and turned to Samar with a grin, almost laughing with elation. “The Turtle Recovery Squad comes in with another victory!”

Samar refused to respond to his relief-induced enthusiasm. The search had been stressful, and now that Leo was safe... “Aram, why did you say that this was your fault?” she said, keeping her voice calm as she repeated her earlier question. “Why did you think Leo was with me?”

Rather than trying to deny it again, he merely sighed, and turned to open his door. “Maybe we should go in,” he said.

That probably was a good idea- this certainly wasn’t shaping up to be the kind of conversation one should have in a hallway. Still, she didn’t even wait for Aram to place Leo back in his tank before continuing her line of questioning, darting straight back into it the moment the door close shut behind them.

“Why does this keep happening?” she asked.

“He just keeps getting out, I guess,” Aram muttered, glancing as his feet, his thumbs running soothingly over the contours of Leo’s shell in what was clearly a nervous tick. He knew he was caught.

“And how, exactly, is he getting through the door?” Samar asked dryly. “Is he a ghost? Can he walk through walls?”

“I don’t know,” Aram replied. “Maybe I keep leaving it open by accident, or—“

“Or maybe on purpose,” Samar interrupted.

Aram winced.

“Look,” Samar groaned. “I’m just trying to understand, all right? I know you’re making Leo come into my hallway for some reason, but I don’t know _why._ And it seems irresponsible, because what if something happened to him?”

“Now wait a minute,” Aram said with a frown. “I wouldn’t do anything to put him in danger—“

“He could have been hurt,” Samar cut in, unable to quite keep all of the anger out of her tone. “And I know where he lives now, but even then I had to work it out the first time. What if someone else had found him, and thought he was a stray? What if something had happened to him?”

“No one else was going to find him,” Aram snapped, clenching his fists. It was clear that Samar had hit a sore spot. “He was always safe, I always made sure that _you_ would find him.”

Samar frowned, running that through her mind. He didn’t mean...

Did he?

“ _Oh_ ,” said Samar. She felt derailed, her whole argument falling by the wayside as she was suddenly struck by exactly what he meant. “Aram, you...“ She trailed off, not quite able to finish the sentence.

How hadn’t she realised before?

“Samar,” Aram started, his expression painted with confusion, or maybe with regret. “I—“

“Just, give me a minute,” she said, closing her eyes and trying to sort through it all.

It was... _insane_ , that’s what it was. Who did something like that? What was he _thinking_? He’d endangered his own pet, and for what? To spend time with her?

Why hadn’t he just _asked?_

A vicious little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she hadn’t asked either, that she had been willing to go along with it all just so she could see Aram without needing an excuse of her own. She’d encouraged it, even, until it had all gone wrong, and then she’d turned around and thrown all the blame on him.

And then to find out that he’d done all that because he wanted to _be_ with her?

What was she supposed to do with that?

“Aram,” she said again, turning and catching his gaze. “Tell me properly, stop beating around the bush. Why have you been letting Leo loose?”

For a moment, Aram looked like a man about to be led to the gallows- but only for a moment.

“That first time I met you, I knew I wanted to see you again,” Aram started, swallowing thickly. “I... well, I didn’t know where you lived, and I had just resigned myself to waiting until I ran into again, maybe in the corridor or the elevator. Then I saw you again the next time that Leo escaped, and I realised then that it was more than just wanting to talk to you. But we didn’t really know each other, and I couldn’t just push my way into a conversation, or knock on your door without an excuse. And then I thought, maybe...” Aram trailed off, glancing down to the turtle in his hands before looking back up and catching Samar’s gaze. “I thought that maybe Leo could be the excuse that I needed. If you had to keep bringing him back, then I would be able to keep seeing you. And I knew that the idea was stupid and insane and probably likely to end up in tears, but it was the best idea I had, and I wasn’t willing to accept the alternative, Samar. I just... I really wanted to spend time with you, to get to know you better.”

“Aram,” Samar said softly, still not sure of what to make of it. Though strangely, she felt... flattered, feeling warm and maybe a little appreciated. It was a weird way of doing things, sure, but no one had ever gone to such an effort before. “You really wanted to talk to me that much?”

“Of course I did,” Aram said. “You’re amazing.”

It wasn’t shallow, or empty, or even just basic flattery. Aram said it like a simple statement of fact.

“Next time, just ask,” she said, offering him a small smile. “I wouldn’t have minded.”

“So...” Aram licked his lips, looking up at her with the mixture of nervousness and excitement. At some point during the conversation they had moved closer together, though whether in anger or comfort, Samar wasn’t sure. But as Aram’s voice lowered and he asked his next question, she found that the _why_ didn’t really matter. “Does that mean that there might be a next time?”

“I think I would like it if there was,” she replied softly.

“Yeah?” Aram asked, his gaze darting down to her lips for half a moment.

Samar smiled. “Yes.”

She couldn’t say which of them leaned in first, though most likely both of them did so together. They met in the middle, their lips barely touching in a soft caress as they were both held back by the nervousness that infused most first kisses. It was just the softest brush of skin on skin that should have barely elicited anything at all, but it sent a shiver down Samar’s spine as warmth pooled all through her body and all her earlier apprehension melted away. Aram’s lips felt nice against her own, and as small as it was, the kiss was sweet and tender. Moving almost unconsciously, she buried her fingers into his hair and drew him closer, opening her mouth just slightly in invitation. Aram gasped against her and then he was pressing forward too, their lips sliding together slowly but passionately, deepening as their confidence grew. It remained mostly chaste but it was still intense, and it left her aching for more, wishing that the moment would never end—

But then Aram yelped and jerked backwards, leaving Samar staring in confusion. Had she done something wrong?

“Leo bit me,” Aram whined, staring down at the turtle he still held in his hands. The poor thing had been sandwiched between them. “He’s never done that before!”

Samar blinked, the rollercoaster of emotions crashing down into something light and refreshing.

“He’s finally letting his feelings about all this be known,” Samar said, struggling to keep a straight face. “It must be exhausting, working as a matchmaker.”

Actually, Leo looked rather pleased with himself.

“Hey, this was my idea,” Aram complained.

“But he did all the work.” Gently, she took the turtle from Aram’s grasp and moved to place him back in his tank, making sure he was right beside his pile of carrots. “There we go,” she said. “I’m sure that’s much better.”

“You’re too nice to him,” said Aram, though the soft smile indicated that he didn’t really mean it.

“Yeah, well.” Samar flashed a grin. “I think I owe him a lot, don’t you?”

Aram took her hand and smiled softly, looking like he wanted to kiss her again. And, well, who was Samar to deny him?

Because you know what? Maybe the turtle guy in 6C wasn’t so bad, after all.

•—————


End file.
